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LE ROY A, HANSON.

ELECTRICAL DISPLAY MEANS.

APPLICATION FILED$EPT.2I,1913.

Patented Aug. 1, 1916.

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ELECTRICAL DISPLAY MEANS.

APPLICATlON FILED SEPT. 27, I913.

Patented Aug. 1, 1916.

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V'EJI LE ROY A. HANSON.

ELECTRICAL DISPLAY MEANS.

APPLICATION HLED SEPT.2T, .913.

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ELECTRICAL DISPLAY MEANS.

APPUCATION HLED sEPT.21. 1913.

1, 1 93, 1 38' Patented Allg, 1 1916' IE 7 M 2 50 I o I I f fl-f/QWSOW UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LE ROY A. HANSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO FRANK AIDSIT AND ONE-THIRD TO RU'II-IVEN E. E. HANSON, BOTH OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ELECTRICAL DISPLAY MEANS.

Application filed September 27, 1913.

To all whom it may concern:

lie it known that 1, LE Roy A. HANSON," a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Chicago, in the county of (look ant State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrical Display Means; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the numerals of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to an electrical dis play sign, each point thereon being represented by a single lamp or group of lamps, wherein the points represented by said lamps are of such number and so closely positioned relative one another as to enable practically any character, figure or letter to be traced thereon by the illumination of the proper lamps. The illumination of the lamps is effected in a novel manner, and for this purpose a miniature reproduction of the display sign is provided in what is termed a master board and on which the points corresponding to the points on the display sign, consist of an electrical terminal, so that points on the master board, when closed by proper contact members, effect illumination of the corresponding points on the display sign.

It is of course obvious that where a group of various colored lights on the display sign represent one point thereon that there may be a number of master boards, one for each of the colors represented upon the sign.

The different master boards are duplicates of one another and this method of providing illumination for the varied colored lamps on the sign is deemed the most simple and practical, although of course a master board combining all the. various points for effecting the illumination of each of the lamps may be constructed.

It is an object of this invention to construct an electrical display means wherein a large sign is provided with a multitude of lamps controlled by a master board to which the electrical terminals of the lamps are led, and wherein the contacts 011 the master board are arranged in corresponding position to the lamps upon the display sign.

It is also an object of this invention to construct a display sign wherein the various Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented A11 1, 1916.

Serial No. 792,090.

points thereon are each represented by a group of lamps and with a plurality of master boards, each one containing contacts connected to a terminal of a corresponding lamp of the group on the display sign.

It is also an object of this invention to construct a device wherein a display sign, having a number of lamps thereon, is suitably connected to a master board to which the terminals of the lamps are led and arranged in corresponding relation thereon with the lamps upon the display sign, and with contact means, either fixed or movable representing certain characters to close the contacts on the master board whereby the contact character members may be reproduced in illuminated lamps upon the display sign.

It is also an object of this invention to provide contact means for the master boards of an electrical display sign wherein contact members representing certain characters may be allowed to rest upon the master board or be moved thereacross, in the latter case of course the illumination of the lamps on the display sign taking place in successive order, thus giving the impression to the eye of the character actually moving across the display sign.

It is also an object of this invention to provide means for illuminating the lamps on an electrical display sign whereby any desired character may be portrayed, and mechanism for moving said means to cause an apparent movement of the reproduced character on the display sign.

It is also an object of this invention to provide contact mechanism for the master boards of an electrical display sign whereby, owing to the movement of a belt or tape across the master board, certain of the electrical contacts will be closed to cause the successive illumination of the lamps upon the display board with an apparent movement of the character thereacross, corresponding to the movement of the contact means.

It is further an object of this invention to construct a display sign whereby the characters displayed by the illuminated lamps thereon may be changed from time to time as often as desired without requiring any adjustments upon the display sign itself, but merely a change in the character contact members used upon the master board for the display sign.

preferred form) is hereinafter more fully descriheC ant. dci' ed in the accmnpanying drawings ant speculcation.

l 1 the drawings: i

i, gure 1 is a diagranr matic new illustratu the positioning of contact characters on a master hoard and th reproduction of "he characters upon the display sign. ig. :2 is a dia. -i'm1atic r-Jiring scheme for a master heard and d Fig. 3 is a du grammatic wirr isplay sign.

i. .cheme for a displa hoard wherein the points thereon ach consist oi a group of tour lamps. the corresponding lamps of each group connected to one of tow nastcr hoards. Fig. l is a section talien on line it of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a top plan view of continuously driven carrying means tor contact men hers mounted over the master hoard. 5 is a section on line G-6 of Fig. 5. g T is a view similar to Fig. 5. hut en'ihodying different means for ett'ccting the contacts on the master hoard. D

Fig. 0 is a section taken on line S-S of Fig. 7. la 1g 9 i? an enlarged detail View of a portion o helt illustrated in 5 and 6, and rowing the attachment oi contact memhers tl.creto.

As shown in the drawings: the displa sign may he represented as a whole by t reference numeral 1. being provided war a plurality of lamps in close relation thereon. and as designated in l. the lamps denoted by the reference nume a. 2. being those shown in heary darl: circles. are not illiuninatcd. whereas the lamps designated by the reference numcal 3. are illuminated. By tilting the sheet containing Fig. 1 at an angle with the eye it may he seen that the illumi natal lamps spell the words The hit.

it master hoard -l-. is pro ided. which contains an insulating: tahle 5. through which contact points (i. one for each of the lamps represented upon the d s lay hoard. project, and as shown in the wiring diagram 2. each one of the contact points (1. is connected by means of a single wire 7. to one of the lamps. either 2 or as the case may he. positioned in a corresponding place upon the display board.

T he contact members on the master hoard 4e. causing the illumination of :10 lights 3. on the display heard 1. are designated Jy the reference numeral 8. Said contact members 8. are each detachahly connected to electrcal conductor bars 9. by means o't holts or screws.

its already stated, one terminal ot the lamps on the display hoard connected to a, single cont-act point on the master hoard l. ilt) while the other terminal of tne lamps, as shown in Fig. 2. is connected to common line wires 10, which lead to a main line wire 11, oi the electrical circuit.

ll hen it is desired to close the points the eha acter contact in" noted by the reference numeral 5 h I are placed upon the points 6, and the masJer hoard l hcing a cmiductor. the com actor bars 9. connected to the chara .ters S. owing to the "act that the other line wire denoted by the re'tcrencc numeral 1;. is con teed to said master heard 4. said hars permit ing the passage of a current through the contact members 8. and thence to the lamps on the display hoai d, causing the same to he illumiwhite light hlue light 16. and z yellow light ii". although of course the pa ticular colors may changed to other tian th 1 c if desired. this construction nated respecti ely h he rei'ercnce name 14-. 15, 16. and 1?. are provided. and the contact points thereon are correspondingly and nnnctrically arranged. for in a wire connects the white lamp ll. with the contact point in the upper left hand corner of the master hoard 31. by means of a 1 t Likewise a tact OiDt' in the g the master heard 1 corner of the display hoar 16 connects a hlue l oi colored lamps o with a corresponding 1 upper left hand corner at tl 1 master 0; 1G. and lastly a wire 17. connects the yell lamp 17. with the contact in the upper l hand corner of the ma ter hoard 17.

0t course the rela e size ot the display hoard as compared with the spa c occupied hy the tour lamps representing a point thereon. is so great that practically no detormation of a character produced upon the sign is to he noticeable when different lights of illerent groups are used to make up the character.

Figs. 5. G. 7. 8, and 9. relate to a modification of means for c osing the comacts on he master hoards. As shown in Figs. 5 and (S. a table 18. is securcl upon the insulating portion ot the master hoard and has iournaled thereon a pair .5 rolls l9. and rcspect iely. the roll 19, hein preferahly composed of metal so as to conduct an electric sists of a ll. a red light lo. a.

con": ct point current. A brush 21, bears upon the roll 19, at one of its ends, and is connected to the line wire 12. The other end of the roll is provided with a worm gear 22. Mounted adjacent said roll, on said table 18, is an electric motor 23, which has rigidly secured. on the shaft thereof a worm 24:, adapted to mesh with the worm gear 22, already mentioned. The purpose of the motor of course is to provide a means for continually driving the roll 19, whereby a tape or belt 25, trained about said respective rolls 19, and 20, may, due to the attachment of contact character members 26, thereon, effect the successive illumination of certain lights upon the display board with the apparent movement of the characters thereacross. In the enlarged view shown in Fig. 9, it may be seen that the characters 26, are attached to the tape or belt 25, by means of. small pins or studs 27, which thus permit a removal of said characters when it is desired to change the same. A contact wire 28, is secured on one margin of the belt 25 to contact the rollers 19, and wheirthe character contact members 26 are attached to the belt 25, an electrical connection by means of a thin flexible wire or wires 29, is effected between the contact members and said contact wire 28.-

Of course the roller 19, being an electrical conductor, the current is conducted therefrom through the wires 28 and 29, to the contact members secured upon the belt and thence to the multitude of contact points 6, on the master board. The under surface of the table lS, is provided with a layer of resilient and compressible material 29, which, as the under run of the belt passes therebeneath, acts to impel the run of the belt toward the master board, thus insuring a good contact between the character contact elements 26, and the contact points 6, on said board.

In the modification illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8, respectively, a motor 30, is provided for the purpose of driving a roll 31, by means of a worm and gear 32, and 33, respectively. As before, a table 34, supporting the motor and rolls is provided and mounted above the master board with a continuous belt 35, being trained above and below the same at one extremity around the roll 31, and at the other around an idler roll 36. The under run of the belt 35, is adapted to travel in close contact with the contact points 6, in the master board, and for the purpose of closing certain of said contact points, said belt is apertured or cut away similar to a stencil, whereby a series of brush-like wire contacts 37, projecting downwardly from the under surface of the table 34, may project through said openings in the belt 35, and owing to the fact that said elements 37, are in electrical communication with the conducting table 34, which has one of the line wire leads connected thereon, the circuit is completed through the contact points 6, on the master board, thus causing a reproduction in illuminated lamps upon the display board of the characters cut out or stenciled upon the traveling belt The operation is as follows: It is obvious that inasmuch as the arrangement of the lamps upon the display board and the arrangement of the contact members upon the master board correspond with one another that whatsoever be the shape or character of the contact means for closing the circuits through the contacts upon the master board such a shape or character will be reproduced upon the display board by illuminated lamps. The number of master boards used in connection with the display board is immaterial, as obviously one master board for every color of light used may be provided.

Of course, as I have shown the device in the drawings, I have illustrated the same merely with a few contact members on the master board and with few lights upon the display board, as obviously the principle involved is the same regardless of the number thereof, and for purposes of explanation the fewer the number the less complicated the device appears. The wiring scheme, however, is very simple and is not likely to become deranged with continued use of the device.

I am aware that various details of construction may be varied through a wide range, particularly in the method of forming the contacts upon the master board, without departing from the principles of this invention. I therefore do not purpose limiting the patent granted otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a device of the class described, a display board, colored lamps upon said display board, master boards one for each color of lamp connected to said display board, an endless belt mechanism, and interchangeable members releasably secured thereon and adapted to be moved over said master boards to cause a successive illumination of certain of the lamps on the display board with an apparent movement of colored characters thereacross.

2. In a device of the class described, a plurality of lamps arranged in groups, each group affording a single point upon a display board, a plurality of master boards connected to said display board, one master board for certain of the lamps in each of said groups, alterable means effecting a successive illumination of the corresponding lamps on the display board, and resilient means associated with said master boards adapted to impel said alterable means toward said contact members to insure contact.

3. In a device of the class described, a

display board, colored lamps thereon, a plurality of master boards connected with said display board, one for each color of lamp, and means movable thereover adapted to cause illumination of certain of said lamps to produce apparently movable characters upon said display board.

In a device of the class described, a display board, dil'lerentcolored lamps thereon, a plurality of master boards connected with said display board, one for each color of lamp, means movable thereover, and means coacting therewith adapted to cause illumination of certain of said lamps to produce colored characters upon said display board.

In a device of the class described a plurality oi lamps arranged in groups, each group atiording a single point upon a display board, and a plurality of permanently located master boards connected to said display board, one of said master boards for one of the lamps in each of said groups, and alterable means for causing illumination of said lamps from said master boards.

6. In a device of the class described, a display board, groups of lamps arranged thereon, each lamp in each of said groups of a different color, master boards one for each color of lamp connected to said display board, and means slidable thereover to cause a successive illumination of the lamps on the display board with an apparent movement of colored characters thereacross.

T. In a device of the class described, a display board, colored lamps thereon, a plurality of master boards connected with said display board, one for each color of lamp, m ans movable thereover, and members releasably mounted thereon adapted to illuminate certain of said lamps to produce movable colored characters upon said display board.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LE ROY A. HIYLUSON.

\Vitnesses CHARLES V. HiLLs, J12, FRANK K. Hunsox.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

